Dispensing method for ice makers

ABSTRACT

A dispensing method for ice makers to determine dispensing of different materials through varying fetched locations of a container includes steps: defining a fetched zone for holding one container; generating a judgment signal varying according to different fetched locations of the container positioned in the fetched zone; and determining to dispense the materials from a cluster of multiple dispensing units or one of them to the container according to the judgment signal. Thus multiple materials can be obtained in one fetched space through different positioning locations of the container. Material dispensing process is simplified and users can get diversified materials quickly and easily in a limited space.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dispensing method for ice makers and particularly to a dispensing method that determines dispensing of different materials through different fetched locations of a container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Advance of electrical and mechanical technologies has spawned a wide variety of labor-saving dispensing equipment. For instance, devices to dispense liquid or solid material (such as ice cubes) are widely adopted these days. They are commonly used at drinking shops and fast food stores to dispense water, coffee, juices and ice cubes. Some of them also are applicable in houses or refrigerators.

Those dispensing equipment generally adopts a substantially same dispensing method. For instance, at cafeterias and fast food outlets, they usually provide a number of beverages for customer selection. Each beverage is supplied by dispensing equipment which has an outlet, a trigger lever and a supplying deck at the outlet to hold a cup. In some occasions, a big supplying deck is provided and shared by multiple outlets arranged in a juxtaposed manner to supply different beverages. By placing the cup beneath a selected outlet and pressing the trigger lever, the selected beverage can be dispensed as desired. The conventional dispensing method mentioned above adopts a simple mechanical means which can be easily fabricated at a lower cost. Each outlet has a mating independent sensor or detection means, such as the trigger lever previously discussed. To supply multiple different beverages, one or multiple sets of dispensing equipment equipped with respective outlets and trigger levers have to be provided. A greater space is needed to accommodate them. Hence they usually are adopted only in business environments such as cafeterias and fast food outlets where a lot of space is available to serve a great number of people. In other sites such as houses and offices where space is a constraint, use of the aforesaid conventional dispensing method is limited.

The dispensing method mentioned above also is widely adopted on drinking water equipment commonly used in houses to supply cold, warm and hot water, or coin-operated beverage vending machine. The equipment usually has only one dispensing outlet and one fetched deck for holding one container, and a control console to control delivery of various different materials. Take the drinking water equipment as an example, by placing a cup on the fetched deck beneath the water outlet, and pressing a button or an LCD touch panel on the control console to select a desired option, cold, warm or hot water can be dispensed. Such an approach can provide multiple outputs of different types in a minimum space. However, it requires the control console which is an extra facility. The commonly used control console is an LCD touch panel, button switch or the like. Compared with the conventional dispensers previously discussed, an additional electronic or mechanical control console is needed. The cost is higher. Moreover, different control consoles have different designs and interfaces that often make users confused when in use, especially children and aged people. Internal wiring of the machine also is more complex. When installed in a damp environment for a prolonged period of time, the life span of the machine is shorter.

In short, the dispensing method of the conventional ice makers or beverage machines often results in a bulky machine, or a higher cost at a smaller size, and is more difficult to use or easily affected by a damp environment and results in a shorter life span. There are still rooms for improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing method to solve the disadvantages of the aforesaid conventional dispensing method used on ice makers or beverage machines, such as bulky size, higher production cost, complex operation and shorter life span in a damp environment.

To achieve the foregoing object, the dispensing method of the invention includes basic steps as follow:

S1: defining a fetched zone for holding one container such as a cup, a jug or the like;

S2: generating a judgment signal varying according to different fetched locations of the container positioned in the fetched zone; and

S3: determining to dispense material from a cluster of multiple dispensing units or one of them to the container according to the judgment signal.

In order to make more accurate judgment of the container position, the previous step of recognizing the container positioned on a targeted fetched location in the fetched zone includes additional steps as follow:

S21: getting a fetched location of the container in the fetched zone;

S22: triggering a time interval when the container is positioned at the fetched location, and defining the triggering time as a start time, and the elapsed time of the time interval as an end time; and

S23: restarting triggering of the start time of the time interval when the fetched location of the container is being changed before the end time is reached; and judging the container being positioned at the targeted fetched location when the end time is reached.

Compared with the conventional methods, the method of the invention provides many benefits, notably:

-   -   1. The dispensing method employs only one dispensing outlet and         can judge different positioned locations of the container to         determine dispensing of different materials, thus greatly         reduces the size of dispensers.     -   2. By judging the different positioned locations of the         container to directly control dispensing of different materials,         no control console is needed, hence the cost is lower. And         complex control and signal wiring also are unnecessary. It also         can function as desired in a damp environment intact and is more         durable.     -   3. By judging the different positioned locations of the         container to control dispensing of different materials,         operation is simplified.

The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the method of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the procedures of confirming a targeted fetched location according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5A is a sectional view of an embodiment of the invention in operating condition-1.

FIG. 5B is a sectional view of an embodiment of the invention in operating condition-2.

FIG. 5C is a sectional view of an embodiment of the invention in operating condition-3.

FIG. 6 is a top view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view of another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention aims to provide a dispensing method for ice makers. Please refer to FIG. 1 for the process flow of the invention. It includes procedures as follow: step S1: defining a fetched zone for holding one container; S2: generating a judgment signal varying according to different fetched locations of the container positioned in the fetched zone; and S3: determining to dispense material from a cluster of multiple dispensing units or one of them to the container according to the judgment signal. To facilitate discussion, also refer to the embodiments below for more details of the invention.

Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4 for an embodiment of the invention. It has a fetched zone 20 which is a space located beneath a first dispensing unit 31 and a second dispensing unit 32. After finishing the aforesaid step S1, define the first dispensing unit 31 for water outlet and the second dispensing unit 32 for ice cube outlet, and also define the different fetched locations of a container 10 (also referring to FIG. 5A) in the fetched zone at a first location, a second location and a third location to deliver respectively water, ice cubes and water plus ice cubes. In this embodiment, a mechanical driving means 41 is used to trigger a switch means 42 to get the fetched location of the container 10 (also referring to FIG. 5A) in the fetched zone 20. As shown in FIG. 5A, when in use and a user wants to get a desired material, the user moves the container 10 to press the mechanical driving means 41 at the first location. Then the switch means 42 is triggered by the mechanical driving means 41 to generate a first judgment signal of the first location to drive the first dispensing unit 31 to deliver water to the container 10. Referring to FIG. 5B, when the user moves the container 10 to press the mechanical driving means 41 at the second location, the switch means 42 is triggered by the mechanical driving means 41 to generate a second judgment signal of the second location to drive the second dispensing unit 32 to deliver ice cubes to the container 10. Referring to FIG. 5C, when the user further moves the container 10 to press the mechanical driving means 41 at the third location, the switch means 42 is triggered by the mechanical driving means 41 to generate a third judgment signal of the third location to drive the first and second dispensing units 31 and 32 at the same time to deliver water and ice cubes to the container 10. This embodies the processes of steps S2 and S3 previously discussed.

In order to facilitate regulation of triggering sensitivity of the switch means 42 driven by the mechanical driving means 41 to generate start/stop operations of the first dispensing unit 31 and second dispensing unit 32 when the container 10 is positioned at the first, second and third locations, the step S2 may further include time control procedures as follow. Refer to FIG. 2 for the procedures of confirming a targeted fetched location of the container according to the invention. It includes: S21: getting a fetched location of the container in the fetched zone; S22: triggering a time interval when the container is positioned at each fetched location, and defining the triggering time as a start time, and the elapsed time of the time interval as an end time; and S23: restarting triggering of the start time of the time interval when the fetched location of the container is being changed before the end time is reached; and judging the container being positioned at the targeted fetched location when the end time is reached. Take an example for getting ice cubes, referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B. First, the container 10 passes through the first location and the mechanical driving means 41 triggers the switch means 42 to get the fetched location of the container 10 at step S21; trigger an time interval at step S22, and proceed judgment at step S23; as user's intention is to get ice cubes, the container 10 is further moved from the first location to the second location while the end time is not yet reached, this is a step S233; and step S22 is resumed to restart triggering of the time interval, and the container 10 is defined at the second location for fetching ice cubes until the end time of the time interval is reached, and the judgment signal is sent to drive the second dispensing unit 32 to deliver ice cubes until the container is filled. Then the container 10 can be removed. Another step S232 also may be included to judge whether the mechanical driving means 41 is being mistakenly triggered. In the event that the user mistakenly triggers the mechanical driving means 41, usually a reflective action is ensued to fetch the container 10; the triggered time interval ends as the container 10 is removed from the fetched zone 20, and the rest procedures are suspended without executing. As a result, the method of the invention simplifies user operation and also is comprehensive to take into accounts of situations that might occur. The whole equipment is compact and can better meet user's requirements.

The embodiment set forth above aims for disclosure purpose, and is not the limitation of the invention. For instance, the approach of getting the fetched location of the container 10 in the fetched zone 20 to trigger the switch means 42 through the mechanical driving means 41 may also be accomplished by adopting an infrared sensor 50 as shown in FIG. 6, or a pressure sensor means 60 as shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A dispensing method for ice makers to control delivery of material to a container, comprising the steps of: S1: defining a fetched zone for holding one container; S2: generating a judgment signal varying according to different fetched locations of the container positioned in the fetched zone; and S3: determining to dispense the material from a cluster of multiple dispensing units or one thereof to the container according to the judgment signal.
 2. The dispensing method of claim 1, wherein the step of recognizing the container being positioned on the targeted fetched location further includes the steps of: S21: getting the fetched location of the container in the fetched zone; S22: triggering a time interval when the container is positioned at the fetched location, and defining the triggering time as a start time, and the elapsed time of the time interval as an end time; and S23: restarting triggering of the start time of the time interval when the fetched location of the container is being changed before the end time is reached; and judging the container being positioned at the targeted fetched location when the end time is reached.
 3. The dispensing method of claim 2, wherein the step of getting the fetched location of the container in the fetched zone is accomplished through an infrared sensor.
 4. The dispensing method of claim 2, wherein the step of getting the fetched location of the container in the fetched zone is accomplished through a pressure sensor means.
 5. The dispensing method of claim 2, wherein the step of getting the fetched location of the container in the fetched zone is accomplished through a switch means triggered by a mechanical driving means driven by the container. 